1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for side-lighting a subject placed in front of a background as well as for lighting the background itself, for example when taking pictures of the subject by photography, cinematography or the like. However, this device may also be employed for a similar purpose around an object when exhibiting this latter in a display window.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When a predetermined subject (inanimate subject or living person) is photographed, the background must appear on the snapshot without showing objectionable shadows cast by the subject. Moreover, in some instances and especially in the case of identity-card photographs, it is necessary to ensure that a uniform white background appears behind the head of the photographed subject. In accordance with another desirable objective, however, the image of the photographed subject should stand out from the background, thus ensuring as far as possible that a three-dimensional effect is thus obtained.
One of the solutions currently applied for the achievement of a satisfactory result consists in using, not only a principal light source placed in front of the subject to be photographed, but also a number of additional light sources spaced at intervals around the subject. Some additional light sources are placed on each side in order to side-light the subject and thus to give this latter a sharper relief. For a similar reason, another additional light source is usually provided in an overhead location.
Another solution at present in use consists in placing a number of independent reflecting panels around the subject to be photographed. It is necessary in this case to provide different individual panels of this type, these panels being placed at various suitable points in order to illuminate the background employed as well as the sides of the subject and possibly also the upper portion of this latter.
However, these two solutions are both attended by undeniable drawbacks. First and foremost among these is clearly the increase in cost price of the installation which results from the presence of a certain number of additional light sources or independent reflecting panels. A further disadvantage lies in the need for accurate position-setting of these additional light sources and in the need to control their power and orientation or else to adjust in a judicious manner the particular orientation of each independent reflecting panel. However, this calls for the services of a skilled operator and results in waste of time.
Moreover, the method which consists in using individual reflecting panels cannot be applied in a certain number of cases, for example for the purpose of photographing an inanimate subject of small size. In this case, the panels usually employed would in fact be too bulky to be placed around the subject to be photographed. Furthermore, the erection and adjustment of such panels give rise to difficulties since supports for readily adjusting their orientation and maintaining them in the desired position do not exist.
For the reasons given in the foregoing, the aim of the present invention is to construct a device of an entirely different design with a view to providing a background of very good quality and optimum lighting of the subject without any need to make use of additional light sources or else individual reflecting panels disposed separately around the subject to be photographed. However, this device is also designed to achieve a further improvement in illumination of the subject to be photographed and of the background placed behind the subject.